General Electric sought to win the support of President Hollande in its struggle to buy Alstom yesterday with a pledge to create 1,000 jobs in France if its offer was selected over a rival takeover approach from Siemens.

The promise, made by Jeffrey Immelt, the chief executive of the American company, at a meeting with Mr Hollande, showed how the tussle to take over the French energy and transport group has shifted on to a political battleground.

The approach comes with the enfeebled head of state, whose Socialist Party was routed in European elections on Sunday, fearing that he would